Quote:
Originally Posted by BFT3K
And right there, is some ugly fucking truth!
Value of societal contribution is subjective.
Is an idiot that can play football more valuable than a research scientist?
Does a Wall Street speculator deserve millions for gambling with your money, while sitting in an air conditioned office?
You would have to pay me a ton of money to be outside all day picking oranges, but those workers get paid squat.
Should a US company, making billions off of cheap labor, be allowed to tax shelter that money?
Should a CEO be allowed to make a bazillion dollars while paying the lowest allowable wages to his or her workers, all the while gaming the system through bribery and shenanigans?
|
This is why wages aren't really based on their value to society, they are based on the actual value of what the job provides and how many others can do it.
For example, a guy who can fix my car if it breaks down is more valuable to me than a guy flipping a burger at a fast food place. Most people can't fix their car, but most people cloud flip a burger. Hence, a mechanic makes a lot more money than person working at a fast food place. Like you, I would have to be paid nicely in order get out in the blazing sun and pick oranges, but it is a job just about anyone could do so it won't pay very well. If it became a situation where they had trouble finding workers they might raise the pay. Let m give you an example.When I was a kid I grew up in a small town that had several farms that grew strawberries. Many kids from age 13 up spent their summers picking strawberries to make money. Normally they paid between $1.00 and $1.25 per crate of berries. Towards the end of one summer many of the migrant workers moved on to something else and the two big farms were having trouble getting people out there to work. It got to the point where they might not get the harvest done. They ended up having to raise their price to $2.50 per crate and only then did they get enough workers to get it done.
An athlete gets paid relative to what they contribute to the team and how well the team does. If you are a star player on an NFL team it is fair to say that you likely contribute heavily to that teams success. Many people will buy your jersey and memorabilia and many others will pay a premium price to come see play. Because of this you are likely worth the millions you are getting paid. Are there overpaid athletes? Sure. Every year you hear about guys signing big contracts and then not playing very well, but as a whole when you have a job that people are willing to pay hundreds of dollars to watch you do and TV stations are willing to pay billions for the rights to broadcast it, you are likely worth the high wage you are getting.